Owners of .us domain names are unable to have their name and contact information details withheld from public view. The U.S. Commerce Department has told registering companies that making such arrangements on their customers behalf is to stop.

The new rule does not affect owners of .com and .net domains and The Electronic Privacy Information Center says that unless domain owners switch to alternatives they are powerless to prevent stalkers from tracing them. The change has been bought in with immediate effect and no consultation has taken place. Up until now buyers of domains have registered them through proxy registrars so that if a 'whois' check is carried out their private information is not shown.